Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-18
INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION.
A Lecture by Prof q. II. Perkins in the
Farmers Course.

! ONlnB 10 ule severe storm friday the
attendance at the farmers class was not
rs large Us usual. The lecturer for the
! hour was Prof. G.. II. Perkins, professor
OF natural history and natural sciences
IN the University of Vermont The speak
er's subject was "Insects Injurious to
| Vegetation" and he occupied an hour
or more very profitably and pleasantly.
! The lecture was illustrated by some adj
mirable colored plates, showing the struc-
ture and peculiarities of various insects.
( The speaker began by giving an outline of
the general structure of insects, explain
ing the adaptabilties of the different
parts to the life and habits of the insect.
He then spoke of the importance of the
study OF insects to the farmer, because of
the losses entailed by the injurious classes
OF insects. suppose, he said, that Il loss
of 10 cents an acre throughout the State
OF Vermont is annually occasioned by the
| ravages of insects; the result would be
Il total loss of over G00OOO a year, and this
estimate would probably fall below the
true one. This being the case, we may
see how important TO the farmer is the
! study of the structure, life and history of
| insects, in order that remedies may be dis
covered to counteract the evil done by
| them. The harm which insects do to
vegetation is very great, yet much may
be done toward lessening its magni-
tude. The subject is so imperfecty I'M
, derstood that anybody who can should
study insects and especially the
farmers, who are so favorably sit
uated for doing it, If farmers
| would observe the habits and history of
the various insects with which they have
to do, try different remedies and report
on the results, much might be discovered
or suggested by the entomologist that
would be of practical value. The protes-
1of h.. I.,
communicate with any farmers with
reference to injuries done their crops by
! insects and the remedies tried. Farmers
and entomologists, he said, should work
! together.
! The speaker then suggested various sim
pie and practical remedies for insect
pests. Kerosene, he said, was one of
! the most simple and effective remedies
known. 1t may be stirred in water. but
the best way to use it is to take two parts
of milk, one part of Kerosene (sour milk
preterable) put into some receptacle and
churn, with syringe or otherwise, until
| the mixture becomes of the consistency of
| butter. In this form it may be kept for A
long time. When wanted for use. dilute
the portion desired with ten times its bulk
OF water When used to eXterminate the
scale insect it may be applied with
sponge or cloth, but in most
cases it is to be applied in the form
OF spray by syringe. This mixture is
useful for DISCRIMINATING almost all kinds
! OF insects, as the vapCr of Kerosene Sulfo-
/ Gates them. Another remedy highly SDok-
en- of Is mixture of saltpetre and water,
/ one ounce of saltpetre to one gallon of
! water. This mixture is good plant food
also. Sprinkled around plants it will keen
OIL cut-wOrms and leaf eatinginsects A tea
made of either OX-eyed daisy, tauSy or
mayWeed Is said TO prove etlcacious
Various poisons are in use to control the
depredatlOnS of insects, but none are so
universally used as Paris green and Lon
! don purple. OF the two the latter is to be
preferred as being safest and most eco
nomical Soft-sOap, saltpetre, gypsum and
, tobacco water are recommended AS simple
remedies. All applications should he ap-
Piled to the under as well as the upper
sides of the leaves.
Old bark should never be left on fruit
trees. 1t is of no use to the tree and har-
bOrs many of its worst enemies. 1t should
be carefully scraped off.
Currant worms may be destroyed by a
hard-Deaten ring of coal ashes around the
bush. The layer of ashes should be two
or three inches thick and about a foot
wide. This is also a good mulch for the
bushes In treating current worms, how
ever, most people prefer the more certain
method of busting with hellebore
Scarcely any larva causes the farmer
more trouble than the common white
grub of our fields ana pastures. Ii very
y.
perfectly harmless and is often mistaken
, for it, The eggs are laid in the ground,
ana the Larvae continue to live therein for
three years, feeding exclusively on the
roots OF growing plants. Various rem
edes have been suggested, with ONLY par
tial success, 1t is believed, however, that
common salt, applied 20 the amount of a
I ton or ton and half per acre will eN-
terminate this insect. Crows are fond of
/ White grubs, ana undeniably destroy great
numbers or them; The white grub is the
4 larva OF the well know May-bug
good remedy Tor squash bugs is a mix
ture OF common table salt and kerosene
J stirred III two pounds OF plaster of paris
and sprinkled on the squash vines.
Prof Perkins pointed out very clearly
the distinction between beneficial and in
; furious insects, and showed that the
former We're OF value, in that they prey
upon the eggs and larvae of the latter
: Of the IL groups of the various species of
insects only four concern the farmer par
| ticularly-the rynchota. orthoptera cole
! optera and lepdoptera. So too only the
| middle or larvae stage of insect meta
! morphosls concerns the farmer, that be
! ing the stage III which nearly all the eat
/ ing of the insect is done. Most larvae
! grow at an astonishing rate, some species
having been known to increase their bulk
10000 or $4,000 times in a single month
and from 100 to POO times in "a hours
! we must know the structure and life his.
tory OF an insect in order to know what
when and where it eats, and how to at.
tack 1t.
In the discussion which followed the
lecture various gentlemen present gave
lhtlr experience with injurious insects
MT sherman had heard that in France
beetles are destroyed by attracting them
TO n bright light placed over vessel con
tanning water, into which the insects fall.
lie mad seen thousands of dead beetles
washed up on the lake shore after a warm
summers night.
Mr. Russell wanted to know the cause
or scab IN potatoes Mr. Smith said he
mad found, with the aid of microscope,
thal scaDs was always attended by a
minute parasitic worm, which he thought
was the cause of this disease
Prof. Perkins said that every farmer
ought to study the subject before the
class for himself, and recommended
'Packard's Guide to the Study of Insects"
as book of reference. Farmers ought to
use the microscope daily during the warm
months. a good pocket instrument may
be had for 80 cents to S25O The pro